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arXiv · 1103.4926

Wrapping an adhesive sphere with a sheet

J. Hure·B. Roman·J. Bico
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Abstract

We study the adhesion of an elastic sheet on a rigid spherical substrate. Gauss'Theorema Egregium shows that this operation necessarily generates metric distortions (i.e. stretching) as well as bending. As a result, a large variety of contact patterns ranging from simple disks to complex branched shapes are observed as a function of both geometrical and material properties. We describe these different morphologies as a function of two non-dimensional parameters comparing respectively bending and stretching energies to adhesion. A complete configuration diagram is finally proposed.

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J. Hure, B. Roman, J. Bico. 2011-03-25. Wrapping an adhesive sphere with a sheet. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.106.174301

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